Welcome to the Bracken Press PRINT-workshop website

Intaglio (etching, drypoint, aquatint)

& block printing & wood engraving

(lino-prints, surface printing) & letterpress


Established 1974.

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Britannia Press


BRITANNIA PRESS


MANUFACTURED BY

BENJAMIN PORTER


1830-1850 LEEDS


This example


Bed size :-34 x 25 inches

Platen Size:- 29.75 x 21 inches


Known as a  'Super Royal'



Benjamin Porter was born on 13th April 1791 in Leeds, married in 1813 and by 1841 was living in Queeen's Square, Leeds.

Porter was listed in Leeds newspapers as a 'whitsmith, a partner to a blacksmith but working with white metals.

Porter's works were in a courtyard - Cross Court - off Brigate in Leeds.

List of  Britannia Presses known to exist.

1.    No 153.

Super Roysal Platen 29 x 21  

1850 Benjamin Porter, Leeds

Leeds Industrial Museum


2     No 33.

Crown Broadside Platen 21 x 16   1870  John Oldroyd

White Horse Yard Leeds

Leaf Spring return

Leeds Industrial Museum


3.    No 365.

B. Porter Leeds

1835 Counter Weight.

Coat of Arms and Unicorn supporters missing.

Science Museum, London.


4. No. 448

Platen 25.5 x 19.5  B.Porter Leeds

Lacks tympan.

John Rylands Libary, Manchester.

5.   No. 552

Platen 26 x 20  B.Porter Leeds

Museum of Science, Manchester


6. No. 598

Platen 18.5 x 14.25

B.Porter Leeds

Leaf spring return.

Missing ...leg, coat of arms (base remains), both decorative finials.

Craven Museum, Skipton.

From local newspaper.


7.  No 449

Platen 18.5 x 14.25

leaf spring return.

Coat of Arms.

(Copied from Science Museum), no lion and unicorn supporters.

Carlisle College of Art


8.

No number, brass plate missing

B.Porter Leeds

Platen Foolscap Folio,

counter weight.

Tympan. No coat of arms, base remains.

Wordworth Trust, Grasmere.

Used once a year by Ian Bain to print Bewick Blocks.

Counter weight would seem to indicate an early version.


9.

No number but has brass plate.

B.Porter , Leeds

Platen 34 x 22.

Counterweight. Coat of Arms.

From Pately Bridge in Yorkshire

Possibly No 1.

Prism assisted purchase.

The printing Museum, Cockermouth, Cumbria.


10.   No.205

B.Porter Leeds.

B.Foster, Bitteswell, Leictershire.


11.

No number but has the brass plate.

B.Porter, Leeds

Platen 29.75 x 21

Counterweight.

Missing, coat of arms & tympan

Bracken Press, Scalby, Scarborough


12.  No date stamp

B.Porter, Leeds



Scarborough College.



13  No date stamp

B. Porter Leeds

Platen 18  x 22 Inches

Bed 29.756 x 23.25 Inches

No tympan

The Printery Studio, Plymouth

For sale £6000.00 o.n.o.

Contact hello@theprinterystudio.co.uk





Nameplate from the press at Bracken Press

Britannia Press in its past location

before refurbishment.

If you know of any other Britannia Printing Presses and would like to add to this list please do get in contact.

mail@brackenpress.com